School's out again Tuesday for CPS, dozens of suburban districts

CPS CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett announces that schools in Chicago will be closed Tuesday, after being closed on Monday.

CPS CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett announces that schools in Chicago will be closed Tuesday, after being closed on Monday.

Staff report

Chicago public schools, along with dozens of districts in the suburbs, will remain closed for the second straight day Tuesday because of the weather.

Barbara Byrd Bennett, the head of CPS, cited the continued cold temperatures expected Tuesday. After overnight lows below zero, the high Tuesday is expected to reach around 5 degrees above zero.

Among other schools that have already made the decision to close Tuesday are Homer District 33C in the southwest suburbs, Barrington Community Unit School District 220 in the northwest suburbs and Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and New Trier Township High School District 203 in the north suburbs.

District 220 Superintendent Tom Leonard, in an emailed announcement, said: "The sub-zero temperatures and wind chill may ease slightly but the elements will remain dangerously low by early morning, making it too risky for everyone to get to school.

"I don't take lightly the decision to close schools, particularly since we are barely into the winter season already having used two of our five allotted emergency closing days," he continued. "I am letting you know today so working parents of young students hopefully have sufficient time to make childcare arrangements before tomorrow. I understand the inconvenience this may create for families as well as the adjustments to our semester schedule and the end of the school calendar in May and June."

The Archdiocese of Chicago also announced late Monday afternoon that Catholic elementary schools in Cook and Lake counties would be closed Tuesday and would reopen Wednesday. The archdiocese said that some schools may open if a "local situation" requires that a school stay open; those schools will communicate that fact to their individual school communities.

Catholic high schools will make their own decisions on closings, the archdiocese said. Archdiocese offices, including the Archbishop Quigley and Cardinal Meyer Centers, will be open Tuesday.

Northwestern University, which had no classes Monday, announced that it would remain closed Tuesday, and DePaul University and the University of Chicago, which also canceled classes Monday, both said classes will resume Tuesday.

City Colleges of Chicago said in an email press release this afternoon that its seven main campuses will be closed Tuesday but will serve as warming centers from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here's a list of the campuses with addresses.

Two Chicago-area institutions -- Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Sceence and Industry -- both will remain closed Tuesday. The Shedd said in an email release Monday afternoon that it would remain closed Tuesday with plans to reopen Wednesday, and the Museum Of Science and Industry announced its closing on its website.

Brookfield Zoo, which closed Monday, said in an email press release Monday that it will reopen Tuesday.